advice from an electrician on how to safely use a generator.
Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. Check
the temperature of food before you eat it. Throw away any food that gets
warmer than 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
The food in your refrigerator:
• If the power is out less than two hours, the food should be safe to eat.
• If the power is out more than two hours, pack the food in a cooler and put
The food in your freezer:
• If your freezer is half full, the food should stay safe for 24 hours.
If the power goes out in a large area, water may not be safe for drinking,
cooking and washing. The local health department will issue alerts about the
safety of water for drinking, cooking and washing.
If your water is not safe to drink, use bottled or boiled water to wash dishes,
brush your teeth, wash and prepare food and wash your hands. Use bottled
water to make baby formula. You can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to
clean your hands. Use bottled or boiled water until health officials tell you
your water supply is safe. For boiled water, bring water to a rapid boil for
one minute to kill most germs and parasites.
If you have no air conditioning during a power outage and the weather is
very hot, there is a risk for heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps and
fainting. Heat stroke is very serious and can cause death if not treated right
away. With heat stroke, the body cannot control its own temperature,
sweating stops and the body temperature may rise very fast.